ZACK STARR
Transformation Specialist
817-717-2848
info@ZackStarr.com
FAMILY & FAITH
Servant, Father, Husband & Son
Raised by a single mother, my sister and I grew up as fiercely independent and capable children. We had to be. Our mother battled substance abuse for the majority of our lives and it would eventually take her from us when she was just 63. However, for a few short years, while living in Sydney, Australia, we were able to experience a "glimpse" into the life that most people call a normal family.
For those four years we were unofficially adopted into a Greek family and it gave us a window into what the word "family" really meant. For that short season, my sister and I got to experience community, unity and unconditional love. That glimpse is all I needed to paint the picture of what I wanted my future family to look like. It would, however, take me 30 more years before I was able to make that a reality.
In 2007, dealing with a debilitating injury from my Military Service, extreme pain, depression and major loss, I almost ended my own life. In 2015 I found the Lord and entered my walk as a Christian. In March of 2018, after the passing of my mother and some deep therapy work, I released the guilt I had been carrying for over a decade about my own near suicide, and opened myself up to the possibility of finally letting someone in. Less than one month later, I found a woman who would accept me as I was, forgive me for all my wrong doings, and trust me with her entire future. I found Meagan, my best friend, partner, and wife.
If I am honest, there was zero chance that I would have been a good father in my 20's or 30's. Intent and execution are not always connected. I was lost, reckless and unsure. Now, well into my 40's, I have found myself and my place in this life. My wife and I welcomed our son, Atlas, into the world in the summer of 2021 and life has never been the same. He is my purpose. He is my future. He is my reason for being here.
This section is probably too much for some people, and that is fine. I'm not here to placate. My faith, my release of guilt and my trust in God are the only reason I am here today. Any lives that I have saved, altered or made an impression on since 2015 are a direct result of letting go and letting God take over. My purpose in this lifetime is to help others find their peace and navigate around the obstacles that nearly ended my life. To help people learn to live life to the fullest, regardless of the obstacles and regardless of their past. My service to my family is #1, community #2 and reaching those in the shadows, alone and lost is #3. I am a servant, a father, a husband and a son.
DISABLED WEATHERED VETERAN
My Disabilities Do NOT Define Me!
In 2007, at the height of my professional acting career and just as my advertising business was growing, screws (inside my shoulder) from my Military surgical repair came loose and brought my world to a screeching halt. It turns out that, for 9 years, the VA had misdiagnosed two loose titanium screws floating around my shoulder as simply "arthritis". The result was similar to throwing a grenade into a drier. The damage was extensive and nothing would ever be the same.
The next few years of my life were the darkest years I have ever faced as I was confronted with extreme challenges from multiple fronts. Multiple surgeries, debilitating pain, loss of work and the closing of my business, financial distress, mounting medical bills and major depression. The battle I faced with the VA, while seeking treatment, was nothing short of unethical. And the amount of medications they had me put into my body were nothing short of criminal. The result almost left me a statistic as I nearly took my own life by suicide... twice.
Even in the darkness, something inside of me was awakened. My girlfriend at the time made one comment that has stuck with me forever...
"You are not the only one. There are more of you out there, struggling in the darkness."
Ever since that moment, I have been on a quest to find those who are silently battling. Those lost brothers and sisters who feel alone, unseen and hopeless. It has taken me over a decade to find my place within this space, but I have finally uncovered my chair at the table.
The ironic part about self reflection and time is that it often gives us clarity on situations or seasons in our life when there previously was none. This could not be more clear than my Ten Year Mirror (read story here). In 2018 I faced almost an exact mirror of circumstances as I did in 2007. Multiple surgeries (including a joint replacement), excruciating pain, major depression, financial hardship, debilitating memory loss and loss of self worth. The difference this time around was my team. I met my wife that year and she stood by my side when most people wouldn't. We navigated the storm together and came out the other side even stronger.
All of my struggles and experiences have allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to navigate trauma. I finally realized that my disabilities do not define me. In fact, they have shaped me into the man I am today. But just "getting through it" is not enough. That is not living, it is survival. My mission is to teach people how to get through it and THRIVE.
MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE
From Alone to Aligned
During the deepest part of my depression I felt lost, hopeless and alone. Since those dark days, I have made it my mission to shine light on those who feel lost, those who are sitting in the darkness, and those who have lost hope. We truly are stronger together and sometimes it just takes someone to show up and say, "Follow me. I know the way out because I have already walked this path myself". Therapy is great, but understanding from shared experience is, at times, even more powerful.
Over the past 15 years I have been fortunate to have worked with some amazing veteran organizations as a volunteer. As a public speaker, my voice has reached not only veterans, but family members and community civilians who were in need. And as an advocate for Mental Health, I have been fortunate to work with local organizations to help spread the awareness and break down stigmas.
Ohio State Veteran's & Shakespeare Project: Shakespeare has been successfully used to help children with autism for years. When a fellow actor, and head of The Ohio State MFA program, asked me to join in a new initiative the university was working on, I was honored. Not only did we run a 6 week workshop for veterans, but we also ran a mirror program for caretakers and spouses. At the end of the 6 weeks, the MFA students produced a play from their learned experience which bridged the gap between the veteran and civilian worlds.
As an outspoken suicide survivor and mental health advocate, it is probably no surprise that my hometown approached me to be the face of their suicide prevention initiative. With my thumb on the pulse of the campaign, I was able to provide real lived experience that we used in the marketing materials and brochures.
ADVENTURE SEEKER
Adventure... My Door To Serenity
As a kid who grew up outside, including 8 years living in Australia and 6 months living in the outback, adventure was part of my DNA. At the time it was just part of life. It would be decades later before I realized that adventure indeed was my breath in life. It sparked my soul into action.
In 2015, I took my passion for adventure to a whole new level. After sitting dormant for 8 years due to my injury, I hit a wall. I was tired of letting my disability define who I was and what I was or was not capable of. So I set out on the hardest challenge I could find… hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
The PCT is a 2,650 mile trail from Mexico to Canada and it usually takes 5 months to complete. Carrying everything you need to survive in a backpack, the PCT requires you to push beyond what you thought you were capable of. In fact, the length of the trail and duration it takes to complete it in one season is the reason that less than 4,000 humans had completed it prior to my walk. More people have stood at the top of Mt Everest. Let that sink in.
